Clasp.



PATENTED JULY 4, 1905.

A. H. MARSGH.

CLASP..

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 1s. 1905.

no. reaees.

n.ivirnn STATES :ra-rented hay a, ieee.

AUGUST H. MARSCH, OF CHICAGO, lLLlNOl-l.

CLASP.,

SPECIFGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 793,888, dated July 4, 1905.

Application lerl March 13, 1905. Serial No. 249,837.

Be it known that l, AUGUST H. Manson, a citizen of the United. States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State oi lllinois, have invented certain new and useiul Improvements in Clasps; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description. thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters ol" reference marked thereon, which form. a part of this specification.

This invention :relates to a clasp for corsets and other uses designed to prevent discoimection oi' the interlocking parts of the clasp and consequent unfastening ol the parts joined thereby, except when. the parts are intention ally manipulated in a manner to ellect their separation.

The invention consists inthe matters hereinalter described, and pointed out in the appen ded claims.

ln the drawings, Figure l is a i'aee view of parts of two corset-steels provided with a clasp made in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a cross-section taken on line 2 2 of Fig. l. Fig. 3 :is a perspective view ol." the body of the clasp removed 'from the steel. Fig. 4t is a sectional view taken. on line el. -1 oil' Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a cross-section oi. the clasp, taken on line 5 5 of Fig. l.. Figs. 6 and 7 are side views o'l modified lorms of clasps em.- bodying the principal Afeatures of my invention.

As shown in the said drawings, A and B indicate two corset-steels, such. as are usually secured in the 'front edges of the two parts of a corset. The steel A is provided. with. a slot ted sheet-metal loop member C, and the steel B with a headed stud D, adapted for detachable engagement with the loop member. Said loop member C is secured by rivets to the steel A and projects therefrom toward the steel B in the usual manner. Said loop member is, moreover, provided with a keyholeslot to receive the stud D, said slot having at its end nearest the steel A an enlarged part or hole E, adapted for the passage oi the head of the stud D and having its outer end made narrower than the `head of the stud and adapted to receive the shank of the stud.

Referring lirst to the iorm of loop member shown in Figs. l to 5, the same consists el." a piece of sheet metal much longer than the loop member and having its end portion folded back upon itseli.l beneath and parallel with. the main part of the loop member and slotted to form. two arms C C', adapted to extend at the sides oi.z the stud D when the latter is engaged with the narrower outer part E of the slot. The .loop member is made ol metal so thin. as to have a considerable degree oi elasticity or resiliency, so that the ends of the arms C C are adapted to yield toward the body of the loop member when pressure is brought on said arms. The body oi the loop member is, moreover', outwardlybent between the steel A and the outer or narrower part IG or the slot, so as to form elevated parts or humps C2 C2 in its parts at the sides oi the slot thereon. Said elevated parts or humps C2 C2 are so located with respect to the enlargedpart 4E and narrow extension E ol' the slot Vthat when the stud is engaged with the said narrow extension its head will stand adjacent to the outwardly-facing inclined parts or shoulders 'of the humps and cannot be shifted into the enlarged part ol" the slot without the passage ol its head over the said humps. The arms C C being below and parallel with the body of the loop member, they are in position to bear or press against the steel B when the loop member is engaged with the stud, and thereby hold the body of the loop member outward and in contact with the head ol" the stud. Vhen the stud is .in the .narrower outer end o'l the slot and the loop member is held. against the head olf the stud by the action oi" the spring-arms C/ C, as described, the elevations or humps C2 Cz will stand in the path of the head of the stud and prevent the stud `irom being shifted or moved in` wardly along the slot to the enlarged part E thereof, and thus becoming disengaged from the loop member. Iii, however, the loop member be pressed toward the steel B at the same time that it is moved endwise toward the stud, the arms C C 4will bend or yield toward the body et the loop member, thereby permitting the elevations or humps C2 CL to be depressed or moved toward the steel B IOO far enough to permit them to pass beneath the head of the stud. The same effect will be produced if the steels be pressed toward each other with sufficient force to eect the downward bending or depression of the body of the loop member through the action of the inclined faces of the humps C2 C2 on the under surface of the head of the stud. The said elevations or humps C2 C2, in connection with the spring-arms C C', therefore serve to hold or lock the parts of the clasps from movement in a direction to effect the release of the loop member from the stud, while at the same time the parts may be disconnected by applying force or pressure to the parts of the clasp in a manner to depress the part of the loop member bearing the said humps toward the steel B, thereby enabling said humps to pass beneath the said head on the stud. In joining the parts of the clasp the same operation is performed, the head of the stud being first inserted through the enlargement E when it will stand at the rear of the humps C2 C2, and the clasp will then be pressed toward the steel B and at the same time moved in a direction to carry the stud into the outer or narrower part of the slot, or the same effect will be produced by drawing the steels apart with sufhcient force to carry the humps C2 CZ past or beneath the head of the stud. In order to prevent the ends of the spring-arms C C from catching in the cloth which covers the steel B or in articles of clothing with which the clasp may come in contact, the extremities of the said arms have outwardly bent or curved parts c c, which extend into the outwardly-bent parts of the loop member by which the humps C2 C2 are formed. Said parts c c are preferably adapted to bear at their ends on the inner faces of said humps C2 C2 and to slide thereon as the arms C C yield toward the body of the loop member when the humps are forced or carried beneath or past the head of the stud.

In Fig. 6 lis shown a form of clasp in which the parts are reversed and the humps on the spring-loop member are adapted to engage the steel to which the stud is attached instead of the head of the stud. As shown in said Fig. 6, A and B indicate the steels, and D a stud on the steel B, as before described. In this instance F indicates the loop member, which is like that shown in Figs. l to 5, but has its backwardly-bent arms F F extended along its outer face in position for contact with the head of the stud, while the humps F2 F2 are formed in the body of the loop member and project toward the steel B and are adapted for contact therewith when the loop member is moved toward the stud to carry the latter into the enlarged inner part G from the outer narrower part G of the slot in the loop member. The ends of the arms F F are provided with inwardlybent parts ff, which extend into contact with the inwardly-bentparts F2 of the loop member and are thereby adapted to readily pass beneath the head of the stud when brought into contact with the same in the act of engaging the loop member with the stud.

In Fig. 7 a loop member H is shown, having a slot in its body part provided with an enlarged inner part and a narrower outer part, as before. The loop member in this instance has a backwardly-bent part extending outside of the body of the loop member and slotted to form two spring-arms H H, as in the form of clasp shown in Fig. 6. In this instance, however, the said arms H are provided near their inner or free ends with outwardly-bent parts or humps H2, which are adapted to act on the head of the stud in the same manner as the humps C2 C2. Shown in Figs. l to 5.)

I claim as my invention- 1. A clasp comprising a stud member having a headed stud and a loop member consisting of a body part having a stud-receiving slot which is closed at both ends, and is enlarged at its inner end for the passage of the head of the stud, said body part being extended at its outer end to form an end portion which is folded inwardly over the body portion and slotted to form two spring-arms located at the sides of the slot in the body portion, and the free ends of which are directed toward the inner end of the body portion and are free to yield toward said body portion, said loop member having at the sides of the slot therein, between the narrower outer and enlarged inner ends thereof, outwardly-bent parts or humps which stand normally in position to yieldingly resist the movement of the studmember along said slot into and out of the narrower outer end thereof.

2. A clasp comprising a stud member having a headed stud and a loop member consisting of a body part having a stud-receiving slot which is closed at both ends and is enlarged at its inner end for the passage of the head of the stud, said body part being extended at its outer end to form an end portion which is folded inwardly over the body portion and slotted to form two springarms located at the sides of the slots in the body portion, and the free ends of which are directed toward the inner end of the body portion and are free to yield toward said body portion, said body portion having at the sides of the slot therein, between the narrower outer and enlarged inner ends thereof, outwardly-bent parts or humps which stand normally in position to yieldingly resist the inward movement of the stud member along said slot into and out of the narrower outer end thereof.

3. A. clasp comprising a stud member and IOO IIO

IIS

a loop member provid ed Witli a slot enlarged at its inner end to receive the bead el the stud and tbe end portieri ol Wliieli is lolded upon tbe body el said loop member and Slotted to form spring-arms, Said loop member beingI provided at the sides el tbe slot therein witli outwardly-bem parts or bumps, and tbe 'lree ends of said, armsJ being, bent toward the body ol the loop member opposite said outwzndly-bent parte or humps.

Ll. A clasp Comprising a Stud member end a loop member provided with a slot to reeeive the stud enlarged at its inner end for the passage ot' the head ol the stud, and the end portion of Wliiell ie :folded upon the body oit the loop member and slotted lto form two springnarms adapted to extend at opposite sides of the shank el" the Stud and te bear against tbe steel te which the stud is attaelied, the body oi the said loop member being; provided at opposite sides oi the ,slot tbereil'i with outwardly-bent parte or humps.

A clasp eomprieing a Stud member and a loop member provided. with a slot to reeeive tbe stud enlarged at its inner end For the passage of the bead ol' tbe stud7 and tbe end portion ol wliieli is `l'olded lupon tlle body olz the loop member and slotted to l'orm, two Spring-arms adapted to extend at opposite Sides el tlle shank of tbe stud and to bear against the steel to Wllieb. the stud is attael'ied, tlle body ol the Said loop member beingl provided at opposite sides of the slot therein with outwardI y-bent parte or 11n inps, and the ends ol the said spring-arms being bent outwardly and adapted to enter tbe outwardly-bent parte oli tbe body forming said humps.

ln testimony that l eiaim the foregoing :ze my invention I allix n'ly signature, in preeenee ol two witnesses, this lUtll day of Mareb, A. D. 1905.

AUGUST ll. MARSOI'I. Wi tnessee C. @inwinnen Poor/1c. G'. li. VILKINS. 

